Just bought the (special edition) new album by Morrissey,"you are the quarry" and do really like the first few tracks - in particular I like the way it opens with this bold statement, but I wondered what our US colleagues thought about it?

"America Is Not The World

America your head's too big, Because America, Your belly's too big
And I love you, I just wish you'd stay where you is

In America, The land of the free, they said, And of opportunity, In a just and a truthful way

But where the president, Is never black, female or gay, And until that day

You've got nothing to say to me, To help me believe

In America, It brought you the hamburger, Well America you know where, You can shove your hamburger
And don't you wonder, Why in Estonia they say, Hey you, Big fat pig
You fat pig, You fat pig

Steely Blue eyes with no love in them, Scan The World,
And a humourless smile, With no warmth within, Greets the world
And I, I have got nothing, To offer you
No-no-no-no-no
Just this heart deep and true, Which you say you don't need

See with your eyes, Touch with your hands, please, Hear through your ears, Know in your soul, please
For haven't you me with you now?
And I love you, I love you, I love you, And I love you, I love you, I love you....."

Just bought the (special edition) new album by Morrissey,"you are the quarry" and do really like the first few tracks - in particular I like the way it opens with this bold statement, but I wondered what our US colleagues thought about it?

"America Is Not The World

America your head's too big, Because America, Your belly's too big
And I love you, I just wish you'd stay where you is

In America, The land of the free, they said, And of opportunity, In a just and a truthful way

But where the president, Is never black, female or gay, And until that day

You've got nothing to say to me, To help me believe

In America, It brought you the hamburger, Well America you know where, You can shove your hamburger
And don't you wonder, Why in Estonia they say, Hey you, Big fat pig
You fat pig, You fat pig

Steely Blue eyes with no love in them, Scan The World,
And a humourless smile, With no warmth within, Greets the world
And I, I have got nothing, To offer you
No-no-no-no-no
Just this heart deep and true, Which you say you don't need

See with your eyes, Touch with your hands, please, Hear through your ears, Know in your soul, please
For haven't you me with you now?
And I love you, I love you, I love you, And I love you, I love you, I love you....."

Morrissey can't dislike America too much considering he's lived there for several years now... (and I wouldn't read too much into these lyrics... Morrissey's made an entire career and several million U.S. dollars from playing the 'outsider' card)

i'd imagine more people are offended by the fact that after originally being one of the greatest lyricists popular music has seen, Morrissey can't muster anything much more meaningful than 'Americans are a bit fat aren't they?'

Just bought the (special edition) new album by Morrissey,"you are the quarry" and do really like the first few tracks - in particular I like the way it opens with this bold statement, but I wondered what our US colleagues thought about it?

Click to expand...

I'm not American, so I probably don't have a say in these matters, but I do like the new Morrissey album - he really does sing better than ever, doesn't he? - including the opening track. I don't find the lyrics very provocative, though. He'll probably sell quite a few copies in the U S as well, and probably would no matter what lyrics could be found on there. Icons tend to do that.

Yes, but I was wondering how many copies of this album he expects to sell in the US?

Click to expand...

Well, since his target audience isn't the flag waving, "you're with us or against us" crowd, I don't see his sales being affected in the least by his song. The people who bought The Smiths or Morrisey albums in the past probably agree with his sentiment, to boot.

It's a non-issue, really. He'd be lucky to have some right wing talking head take umbridge with his new tune, honestly. I don't see chubby 40-something making waves on TRL, so his best bet for sales is to stir up some controversy to get some advertising...

I'm not American, so I probably don't have a say in these matters, but I do like the new Morrissey album - he really does sing better than ever, doesn't he? - including the opening track.

Click to expand...

Yes - I like his singing on that track and it's a good tune, which sounds modern and well-arranged. But the singing is very clear and what strikes you is this kind of "anti-imperialism" if that's eth right word and I wondered if there is as much sympathy for that point of view in all other countries - although of course, it directly addresses America.

The people who bought The Smiths or Morrisey albums in the past probably agree with his sentiment, to boot.

Click to expand...

I didn't know whether there were Americans who would agree or not....I didn't know whether Morrissey is expressing feelings that he gets from where he lives or where he was born?

It's a non-issue, really. He'd be lucky to have some right wing talking head take umbridge with his new tune, honestly. I don't see chubby 40-something making waves on TRL, so his best bet for sales is to stir up some controversy to get some advertising...

Click to expand...

So - it's like "Anti-Marketing" - deride your most likely audience and then they have to buy it, to show they aren't really the target ... he has a good go at the English and just about every UK political party on track 2 as well!!

Well - nobody apart from you seem to be "pissed off" and there have been several interesting replies and nobody else has got personal....

But really - if we can't rib each other with a bit of humour then what is the world coming to?

This is the basis of 90% of my conversations in the real world and always raises a smile - so I know work colleagues will rib me if my football team loses and they know I'll do the same when their team plays badly - life would be very boring if we only said things that were totally inoffensive and bland....

I didn't know whether there were Americans who would agree or not....I didn't know whether Morrissey is expressing feelings that he gets from where he lives or where he was born?

So - it's like "Anti-Marketing" - deride your most likely audience and then they have to buy it, to show they aren't really the target ... he has a good go at the English and just about every UK political party on track 2 as well!!

Click to expand...

Well, you missed my point. It's not "Anti-Marketing" as it is simply "Marketing." I can't speak for Morrisey fans because I was never really into his music--although my guitar player can do a pretty frightening imersonation of him. I just don't see the people that are most likely to buy his albums to be as offended by his lyrics as say, the Toby Keith crowd. If Morrisey wrote a song called, "I want to Become an American Citizen and Eat a Giant Hamburger." Now, THAT would be Anti-Marketing....

For example--I'm pretty sure that Al Franken wasn't too terribly concerned about alienating his right wing audience by choosing "Rush Limbaugh is a Big,Fat Idiot" as the title to one of his books.

I don't think it's a real leap in courage to write an anti-American Juggernaut song these days. And, honestly, I think the points he makes are fairly tame. Yes, we've never had a black, female, or gay President, but considering we've only had 43, that's not really that big of a shocker, is it? I fully expect to see a female President in my lifetime, though...

And, the idea that Americans are fat isn't exactly scandalous, either. Yes, we are a fat, corpulent nation. But, I got news for ya--Britain is starting to lose the battle of the bulge, too.

As for the line, "And don't you wonder, Why in Estonia they say, Hey you, Big fat pig,"--Well, the answer, of course, is "No, we don't wonder why they say that in Estonia."

Because, frankly, it's Estonia (besides--most of us couldn't find it on a map, and if you told them it was a fictional place in a Lewis Carroll book they'd tell you they loved him on "All In the Family.")

All in all, it's a pretty weak attack song, IMNSHO. I think Morrisey should really leave the America bashing to those who are best at it--Americans.

Well - nobody apart from you seem to be "pissed off" and there have been several interesting replies and nobody else has got personal....

But really - if we can't rib each other with a bit of humour then what is the world coming to?

This is the basis of 90% of my conversations in the real world and always raises a smile - so I know work colleagues will rib me if my football team loses and they know I'll do the same when their team plays badly - life would be very boring if we only said things that were totally inoffensive and bland....

Click to expand...

Heh..your posts used to bother me, Bruce. But, once I started reading them in Stewie's voice from "Family Guy," they didn't bug me, anymore.

Besides--anyone who gets really bent out of shape over a new Morrisey tune really needs to relax, IMO.